Mechanical musical instrument



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet l. A. KELLER. MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 599,710. Patented Mar. 1,1898.

THE NORRIS Farms w PnoYuu'ma, WASHINGTON, n. c.

(No Model.)

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. KELLER. MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

' No. 599,710. Patented Mar. 1,1898.

i l i UNITED STATES PATENT OrErcE.

ALFRED KELLER, OF LEIPSIO, GERMANY.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

$PEGIFICA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,710, dated March1, 1898.

Application filed April 2 '7, l 8 96 To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED KELLER, a subjeet of the Emperor of Germany,and a resident of Leipsic, in the Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical MusicalInstruments, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is shown in the annexed drawings inconnection with a musical instrument with circular music-sheet andnote-comb.

By this invention it is possible to play with one music-sheet musicalpieces of double the length or longer than has been possible hitherto orto play more than one piece of music.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section; Fig. 2,a plan. Fig. 3 shows part plan of the music-sheet b and the driving-diskd; Fig. 4, a section of the notecomb and the axle of the plucking-wheel.Figs. 5 and 6 are details of the mechanism. Figs. 7 to 12 representmodifications of the mechanism, Fig. 7 being a longitudinal section,Fig. 8 a plan view, Fig. 9 a cross-section, and Fig. 10 a detail View,of one modification, and Fig. 11 a longitudinal section, and Fig. 12 aplan view, of the other modification.

In the present musical instrument are used music-sheets upon which nextto the notesigns over the plucking-wheels c are placed one or morenote-rows'to lie between each two plucking-wheels c. The note-sheets arefixed successively upon the axle a, carrying the music-sheets, and arearranged movable with this carrying-axle ato enable, after eachrevolution of the music-sheet Z), other note-signs to be brought overthe plucking-wheels c. In order to cause successive revolutions of themusic-sheet l) to repeat the same note rows instead of bringing otherrows into action, the arrangement for the moving of the carryingaxle awith the music-sheet b may be set out of action.

The driving-work, as well as the device for the moving of thecarrying-axle a, is fixed on the plates 111. m united together by boltsor rods 2. The carrying-axle a revolves in the slide m and in the fixedplate m The slide m is guided, as shown in Fig. 6, in a slot in theplate on and fastened therein by the plate projecting un- The spring fkeeps the slide 0, screwed on the slide on and der the plate at.

$eria1N0. 589,246. (No model.)

on, with its nose 0, upon the periphery of the cam-disk c, fixed uponthe'axle a. The axle a is therefore adapted to revolve and to swingwithin certain limits in the plates m and m The cam-disk c operates themoving of the carr fin -axle a the slide at bein re'ssed' back in theslot against the spring f on the revolution of the disk 0, when thelarger radius of the disk 0 meets the nose 0 of the slide m. Thecarrying-axle a is kept during the moving of the slide or by itsball-like bearing in the 'plate m in order that it may be allowed tobecome inclined and only the upper part of the carrying-axle a bedisplaced. The disk 0 is so constructed that its periphery after eachrevolution of the music-sheet 12 moves the slide m, with the upper partof the carrying-axle a, so far thatthe note-rows lying between thealready-played note-rows of the music-sheet b are brought over thepluckingwheels 0.

The carrying-axle a and the axle g are op= erated from the spring-barrelr by means of the toothed wheels 71. h, and h. The wheels 71, h, and 71are arranged in one plane as near as possible to the plate m, andtherefore the wheel it upon the carrying-axle a is close to itsball-like bearing a in order that on moving of the axle a the wheel 7Lmoves only a little, and therefore remains in gear with the wheels h and71 The carrying-axle a, with the music-sheet 1), makes two revolutions,while the axle g, with disk 0, makes one revolution.

The note-rows upon the music-sheet Z) can be arranged centrically orspirally. In noterows arranged centrically upon the musicsheet I) thetooth o of the slide or. slides, after each revolution of themusic-sheet Z), upon a step in the periphery of the cam-disk c from anarc of one radius to an arc of a different radius, so that themusic-sheet l), by means of slide at and carrying-axle a, is then moved,and in one revolution of the music-sheet b the one group of note-rowsand in the next revolution another group of note-rows is played, thelatter lying between the first. Thus aft-er having played onemusic-piece by a further revolution of the same musicsheet another piecemay be played or the same piece repeated, as hereinafter described.

In note-rows arranged spirally upon the music-sheet l) the tooth o ofthe slide on slides upon a spiral periphery of the cam-disk c, Fig. 5,and thus, also, for the same purpose during two successive revolutionsof the music-sheet Z) it is moved evenly in one direction to bring intoaction two note-rows. Arrived at the end of the second revolution themusic-sheet is moved, by means of the spring f, again in its previouscondition.

By giving to the axle g correspondingly fewer revolutions and to thedisk 0 a corre sponding form instead of one there can be playedsuccessively,also, more note-rows arranged between the plucking-wheelsc. The driving may also be effected by the periphery of themusic-sheet 1) instead of the carryingaxle a, as shown here.

To set out of action the device for the lateral movement of thecarrying-axle a, the wheel h, serving for the operating of the axle g,is placed loosely upon the latter. Also upon the axle g is a movablesleeve q, fixed by a feather r, projecting into a slot thereof. Thesocket q is provided with a tooth t" and adapted to the size of thistooth and corresponding with the same the nave of the wheel h has arecess t Into the latter the tooth t" is pressed by the spring f,surrounding the axle g between sleeve q and plate m. The sleeve q isprovided with a groove in which engages the end of the lever 02,fulcrumed in the post it. Over the other end of the lever n is a secondlever 25, fulcrumed upon the angle-bracket a and projecting through aslit in the plate m. The angle-brackets it and a are fastened by screwsupon the plate m. The lever t is arranged in such a manner that if it isturned in the position shown in Fig. 1 the free end of the lever 71 ispressed downward, the sleeve q is lifted by the forked end of the lever72, and the tooth t" is taken from the recess t hen the levert is turnedinto the position shown in Fig. l in dotted lines, the lever 02, is freeand the spring f presses the sleeve q downward and the tooth 2" passesinto the recess i As soon as the tooth 1" enters the recess 2' the wheel7t turns in the same direction the sleeve q, axle g, and camdisk 0, andthe latter operates the moving of the carrying-axle a with music-sheeth. hen the tooth z" is out of the recess t the wheel h rotates looselyupon axle g and the latter, with sleeve q and cam-disk c, are put out ofoperation. In this case the lateral movement of the oarryingaxle a, withmusic-sheet b, ceases and the same note-rows are repeated.

In the device represented in Figs. 7 to 10 the carrying-axle a isjournaled in the nave of the cam-disk c and does not rock in a bearingat its lower end, but when displaced is moved equally, and thereforemaintains its parallelism with the remainder of the apparatus. Thecam-disk 0 turns in the slide m.

The axle g is also journaled in the slide m. Upon the carrying-axle a isfixed the musicsheet-carrying disk cl, and the gear-wheel it upon theaxle g, the gear-wheel h, and the gear-wheel 7L3, while the wheel 7% isfixed upon the nave of the cam-disk c. The slide m is arranged to movein the prismatic guides y of the plate m with the carrying-axle a,camdisk 0, and axle g. The periphery of the cam-disk 0, according to thearrangement of the note-rows upon the note-sheet, is either of spiralform, as in 8, or concentric form, as in Fig. 10. The cam-disk oisoperated by means of the wheels 71 h 72. 71 and the axle g from thecarrying-axle a and is kept by the spring f with its periphery againstthe nose 0 of the bracket w, screwed upon the plate m. The carrying-axlea completes a whole revolution while the cam-disk 0 makes half arevolution, and the displacement of the carrying-axle a is effected bymoving the slide at at the division of the note-rows during or at theend of each half-revolution of the camdisk 0 by the nose 0 of thebracket 10.

In the apparatus shown in Figs. 11 and 12 the nose 0 is on the slide m,the wheel h upon the carrying-axle a, turning in the slide m, and thewheel h and the cam-disk 0 upon the axle g, j ournaled in the plate m.The spring f presses the nose 0 constantly on the periphery of thecam-disk 0. Y The displacement of the carrying-axle a is effected herebyin the same manner as in the above-described apparatus from the cam-diskc, which is operated by the carrying-axle a by means of the wheels 72.and h and axle g. As during the movement of the slide m withcarrying-axle a the wheel h also moves, but the wheel It remains in itsposition, the teeth thereof are made correspondingly long in order thatthe wheels h and It may remain in gear.

I claim as my invention 1. In a mechanical musical instrument thecombination with a rotary music-disk of a shaft adapted to receive thecenter of said disk and revolve the same, a slide-bearing for saidshaft, a cam-disk and abutment therefor adapted to displace saidslide-bearing,

means for connecting the shaft to revolve the cam-disk and a clutchinterposed between the shaft and cam-disk for connection anddisconnection of the latter for the purpose set forth.

2. In a mechanical musical instrument the combination with a rotarymusic-disk of a rotary shaft adapted to receive the center of said diskand to engage the same, a stationary bearing for said shaft remote fromthe musicdisk, a movable collar bearing therefor nearer the music-disk,a prime mover, gear connecting said prime mover to the shaft near thestationary bearing thereof and means for rocking said shaft adapted tooperate near the movable bearing for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED KELLER.

Witnesses:

OTTO DOEDERLEIN, .ERWIN RAABE.

